Chapter 163

  Tens of people huddled together, abandoning their armor and helmets, with numb expressions, gazing upwards to the highest point, along the winding official road, defeated soldiers swarmed like ants.

  Haizhou Stockade, Gathering Righteousness Hall.

  Cheng Daire sat on the Taishi chair representing the leader of the stronghold, with Xu Shenji, Huang Sanjuan, Liu Guanzhang, Qin Man, Zhao Zilong... on his left and Gao Feihu, Gao Feibao, Xiao Bailang, Xiong Da, Xiong Er and other leaders of more than 50 mountain strongholds on his right.

  Dark clouds press down on us, weighing heavily and making it hard to breathe.

  "Big boss, where are we going?" asked Gao Feihu.

  "Go?" Cheng Dairen repeated this word, his expression unreadable as to what he was thinking.

  "I'm going to say something that doesn't sound very pleasant, but we all admire the way Master Zhang conducts himself. Without Master Zhang, it's unlikely we'd be where we are today. But now the Rong tribe has arrived, and each of our families can only disperse. If we're all lucky enough to survive, my brothers will gather together again, and we'll still have Master Zhang as our leader."

  According to the news brought back by Huang San Yuan and Zhao Zi Long, the Northern Barbarian Army has breached Heishi City and is now marching towards Tucheng. The old and weak in Heishi City will inevitably be slaughtered, with blood flowing like rivers and corpses filling the fields.

  Cheng Daliu has a heart as broad as that of a sage who saves the world. He should drive away the Rong tribes and save the people from fire and water.

  Unfortunately, he didn't, and in the end, he was just an ordinary person.

  Even if he was an ordinary person, Cheng Dairen couldn't help but feel a little unhappy when thinking about what would happen in Heishi City.

  The question is, what does Beimanbu want to do this time?

  Is it like the countless times before, killing some people, looting some supplies and women and leaving, or is it starting from Blackstone City, opening the prelude to plundering the entire empire?

  Blackstone City, is it the end, or just a beginning?

  If Heishi City was just the beginning, then Qingniu Mountain would be a must-pass place for the Rong tribe.

  The Northern Barbarian Department can defeat 50,000 Youzhou soldiers in one day and capture the Black Stone City in half a day. What's more, it's just a small fort like the Frog Garrison.

  So everyone's first thought was to escape, the 5,000-strong stronghold scattered like birds and beasts, each person taking care of themselves, fleeing towards the heartland of the empire, the farther the better, never to see the Rong tribe again.

  The gathering hall was in chaos, the imperial subjects had already reached a state of panic, everyone was in an uproar, thinking about how to escape, whether to take the land route, fleeing to Ji Zhou and Bing Zhou, or taking the sea route, going to that legendary isolated island overseas, or going to Yangzhou, Xuzhou and other places far from the border.

  Cheng Darui didn't say anything because at this moment he also had no idea what to do.

  Cheng Dali had little sense of patriotism or love for the empire, nor did he harbor much hatred towards the Rong tribe. Of course, as a fourth-rate bandit, the empire had never considered him one of its citizens.

  Perhaps because of this, Cheng Dairen did not have much fear psychology towards the Rong tribe. Everyone talked about the color change and fled in the wind, but Cheng Dairen's heart was not thinking that way.

  His mind was thinking: The Rong tribe is less than ten thousand, and more than ten thousand are really unbeatable?

  After a long time, Cheng Dairen cleared his throat and the chaotic hall gradually quieted down. Everyone's eyes fell on Cheng Dairen.

  "Run, where can we run to?" Cheng Da Lei asked.

  "Let's flee and naturally head south to avoid the Rong tribe. We'll occupy a mountain stronghold and continue to act tyrannically."

  "Or we can take the sea route, I've heard that there's a deserted island in the middle of the ocean, as long as we enter the sea, the Rong tribe will definitely not be able to catch up with us."

  Everyone was on high alert, and it seemed like chaos was about to erupt in the hall again.

  Cheng Dalai waved his hand: "Our mountain stronghold has more than 5,000 people, and the elderly, women and children account for more than half of them. Only two or three thousand people can really take action. If the Rong tribe occupies Heishi City and is not satisfied, they will go south again. Can our two legs outrun the iron hooves of the Rong tribe? Of course, brothers are all capable people, and someone must be able to survive in this chaos. But can those children and old people survive?"

  Everyone fell silent. As the saying goes, "When the army is defeated, it's like a mountain collapsing." Deserters are not as good as dogs. If they really scatter and run away, who can survive and who cannot will depend on luck.

  "Master, what's your idea? Share it with everyone."

  Cheng Dalai shook his head: "I don't have any ideas. If I had any ideas, I wouldn't be wasting time talking to you guys."

  He had only heard that the Rong tribe was powerful, but he didn't know just how powerful they were. Cheng Dairen was now in a state of mind where he was both intimidated and wanted to try his luck.

  The hall fell into chaos again, and these mountain bandits actually didn't have many ideas. After hearing Cheng Dairen's analysis, they were all at a loss.

  "If... I'm saying if..." Cheng Dalai asked: "If we don't escape, is it feasible?"

  "What does 'Dadangjia' mean?" Liu Bei saw through Cheng Da's intention: "Want to fight a battle with the Rong tribe?"

  A sudden commotion occurred when Cheng Da Lei's thoughts slightly revealed a corner of his mind, and the mountain bandits were startled.

  "This is impossible!" someone shouted: "Yang Long stopped the 50,000-strong army for one day and was broken by the Rong tribe. Our mountain stronghold has only 5,000 people, and we can fight with no more than 2,000 people."

  "We can run, why fight with the Rong tribe!"

  "Is the master of the house asking us all to go die?!"

  "Everyone settle down." Cheng Da Lei suddenly stood up: "I'm still the master of the mountain stronghold now, not giving me face at this time, isn't it a bit too early?"

  The crowd quieted down, after all, Cheng Dairen's prestige was still there.

  Cheng Dalai pressed his hands together: "I didn't say we must defend or escape, I'm discussing with everyone. Escaping is a way out, but using our backs to face the enemy's iron cavalry, I dare say that if today's mountain stronghold has 5,000 people, it would be good if 1,000 to 2,000 can survive. And if we defend..."

  Cheng Dalai hesitated for a moment, his hand waving as if he wanted to envelop the entire mountain stronghold.

  "First, the mountain stronghold is easy to defend and hard to attack. As long as we hold the gate, even a thousand troops cannot break through; second, the mountain terrain is not suitable for cavalry operations, and the enemy's advantage will be greatly weakened; third, our stronghold has stored up countless grains, and it is absolutely no problem to hold out for a year or two. The enemy does not have logistical support for food and grass, they cannot hold on, and naturally they will withdraw their troops."

  Cheng Dalai counted to the third item and said, "Of course, if we insist on defending, many people will sacrifice, including me and brothers from various families. But I think with the above three items, it's not necessarily impossible to defend. I'm not monopolizing power either. Today is related to the life and death of more than 5,000 brothers, so naturally, all brothers discuss together. I ask a question, those who are willing to fight, raise your hands?"

  The sound fell, and everyone looked at each other in dismay, sizing each other up, their eyes flashing but not knowing what to think.

  Then, in a hall full of people, only one hand was raised, like a solitary flagpole.

  It's Lin Shaoyu.

  This man who was going to become a great hero ultimately did not disappoint Cheng Da Lei. However, with only him raising his hand, it also made him look so pitiful.

  Even Xu Shenji, Qin Man and others who were close to Cheng Dali couldn't muster up the courage to let go and fight against the Rong tribe.

  Are the Rong people really that scary?

  The more it is like this, the more it arouses Cheng Daren's curiosity.

  Curious, sometimes also competitive.